Carrier for target-traps.



No. 780,882. l Y PATBNTED JAN. 24, 1905.

' F. HARDY.

CARRIER POR TARGET TRAPS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 24. 1904.

UNITED STATES Patented January 24:, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

CARRIERV FOR TARGET-TRAPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 780,882, dated January 24, 1905.

Application filed February 24:, 1904. Serial No.,195,029.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK HARDY, a citizen of the United States, residing in Mountpleasant, in the county of Maury and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carriers for Target- Traps, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to a carrier applied to the throw-arm of a target-trap for receiving and discharging disk targets, the object of the present improvement being to providera carrier of the kind named upon which the target may be loosely laid to move olf of the carrier when thrown without occasioning the breakage of the targets, as frequently results in the use of target-trap carriers in which the targets are gripped between spring-controlled Jaws.

The essential characteristic of my carrier lies in positioning the carrier so that its outer or discharge end will project atan angle to a line extending through the longitudinal center of the trap throw-arm, thereby causing the target-resting on the carrier to be maintained thereon without retention means until `the target-throw arm has reached the targetdischarging position, when the target will move freely from the carrier without restraint.

My invention consists in Jfeatures of novelty hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

Figure I is a top or plan view of my carrier. Fig. II is an edge View of the carrier. Fig. III is anlenlarged perspective view. Fig. IV is an enlarged horizontall section taken on line IV IV, Fig. III. Fig. V is` an enlarged cross-section takenon line V V, Fig. III.

lV designates the outer end of a target-trap throw-arm.

2 is the rear end of my carrier, and 3 its outer end. The rear end of the carrier is secured to the trap throw-arm 1 by any suitable means, such as the rivets 4, lone of which preferably passes through a central rib 5 of the carrier, as seen in Figs. I and III. The connection of the carrier by its fastening means to the throw-arm is Such that the outer end 3 of the carrier is .disposed at an angle to orY respect to the direction of travel of the trap throw-arm in its target-throwing action.

6 designates a guard that surmounts the target-carrier at its forward side, above which it is supported by the pins 7.

8 is a guard that surmounts the carrier at its rear side and supported by pins 9, the lastnamed guard being preferably longer than the first-named, so as to project near to the rear end of the carrier and prevent the target from being discharged from the carrier during thetravel of the target-throw arm previons to the arrival'of the carrier at the dischargingposition.

l0 is an elastic band, preferably of rubber, that is stretched around the pins 9. This band is designed to receive the edge of the target placed on the carrier and pressed thereagainst between the guards 6 and 8; but the force exerted by the band is insufficient to occasion any strain upon the target or to in the least restrain the freedom of its discharge from the carrier, the oioe of the band being that of providing a yielding body against which the targetwill move as it leaves the carrier, thereby imparting a spinning motion to the target to enhance its sailing action through the air.

The targets may be fed onto my carrier either from its rear end or forward end, according'to the desire of the person positioning them, as may be the most convenient.

It will be seen that with the carrier disposed in a forward angle from the axis of the trap throw-arm when the throw-arm is swung in the direction indicated by the arrow, Fig. I, there will be no tendency of the target to move'out of the carrier during the initial movement of the throw-arm; but as soon as the throw-arm has reached the usual target-discharging position the target will leave the carrier, moving outwardly therethrough and escaping without being subjected to any strain during its discharge.

I claim as myk invention- I. The combination with the throw-arm of a target-trap of a target-carrier secured to said throw-arm, guards forming a part of said car- IOO rier, and an elastic member extending longitudinally of said carrier throughout the course traveled b v the target when discharged from the carrier, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination With the throw-arm of a target-trap, of a target-carrier secured to said throw-armand having its target-receiving portion disposed at an angle to the axis of the throw-arm and projecting forwardly with respect to the direction of movement of the throw-arm, guards forming a part ot' said carrier, and an elastic member extending longitudinally of said carrier throughout the course traveled bythe target when discharged from the carrier, substantially as set forth.

3. The 'combination with the throw-arm of a target-trap, of a targetcarrier secu rcd to sai d throw-arm and having its target-receiving portion disposed at an angle to the axis of the throw-arm and projecting forwardly with respect to the direction of movement of the throw-arm. a guard surmounting said carrier, pins by which said guard is secured to the carrier, and an elastic band applied to and extending from one to the other of said pins, substantially as set forth.

FREDERICK HARDY. In presence of- NELLIE V. ALEXANDER, BLANCHE HOGAN. 

